Retail trends

Tariffs, freight, and the new volatility in landed cost

When your input costs move weekly, an annual price review isn't a strategy — it's a liability. What the data shows.

Priya NatarajanPricing Strategist · May 28, 2026 · 7 MIN READ
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ARTICLE HERO · 16:9

Landed cost used to be the stable line in a pricing spreadsheet. For most catalogs, it isn't anymore.

Tariff schedules shift mid-quarter, freight rates swing with capacity, and a supplier surcharge can erase a margin assumption overnight. An annual review can't see any of it.

The teams holding margin are the ones treating cost as a live input — letting a freight spike reach the shelf in hours, not at the next planning cycle.

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